Elevated pleasure-railway.



Pafent ed July 3, I900. E. WISHABT. I ELEVATED PLEASUBEMRAILWAY.

(Application med Mar. 26, 1900;;

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

' (No Model.)

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No. 652,872. Patented July 3, I900.

E. WISHART.

ELEVATED PLEASUBERAILWAY.

(Application filed m. 26, 1900.;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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WHIJQSSQS v I UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

EDWARD YWISHART, or WATERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATED PLEAS-U RE- RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,872, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed March 26,1900. Serial No. 10,267. (No model.)

To 'aZZ whont it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, EDwARn .VVISHTART, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Waterford, in the county of Erie and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Elevated Pleasure-Railway, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to amusement devices in general, and more particularly to the class of elevated pleasure-railways; and it has specificreference to devices of this nature in which the passengers occupy seats which are suspended byhangers from a track, which latter is supported in suitable position and has an irregular course, so that the individual seats are caused to travel in close relation and at other times widely separated and in constantly-changing directions.

In the drawings the invention is to provide a construction of this nature in which the several seats or carriages will be positively moved over an endless route and in which there-will be provided a cheap construction which will be sufficiently strong to support the weight applied thereto.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar'parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus as ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatus with the covering-tent removed to show the course of the several seats or cars. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing in detail one form of trackway and hanger with the propellingchain and a supporting-sprocket. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the tracksupporting beam shown in Fig. 3 and illustrating the track-hanger and the car-hanger engaged with the track.- Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and showing a construction in which the rails and their hangers are duplicated and in which the car-hanger is double to correspond therewith. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a third form of tracksupporting means and a third form of carhanger.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a supporting-framework for the track-rails and the car-propelling mechanism, and this framework in the present instance is shown as octagonal in outline and comprising a central hub 10, from which radiate arms 11, having connecting cross- .braces 12 at their extremities. Additional 'fcro'ss-braces 13 connect each pair ofmutuallyadjacent arms 11, and the cross-braces connecting each pair of arms are parallel.

Secured to the under side of each of the arms 11 and adjacent the outer end thereof is a bearing-block 14, in which isjournaled a shaft 15, carrying a sprocket-wheel 16, although, if preferred, the shafts 15 may be in the form of stub-shafts and the sprockets may be formed to rotate thereon. This is of course a matter of mechanical expediency. Additional sprockets 17 are similarly mounted upon any of thecross pieces or braces 12 and at suitable points thereof, and engaged with these several sprockets is an endless chain 18, which is arranged taut, and this chain is caused to travel continuously over the several sprocketsthrough the medium of a chain 10, which is engaged with a sprocket which is fixed to rotate with any one of the sprockets 16, the chain 19 being connected with any suitable source of motion.

Below the chain 18 and conforming thereto in direction is a track consisting of a rail 25. This track may be constructed and arranged in any one of several ways, and in Fig. 3, as also in Fig. 4, it is shown as a single crosssectionally-rectangular platewhich is supported in proper relation to the chain 18 by means of hangers 26, each of which consists of a strap, the upper end of which is rig idly connected with a suitable portion of the supporting-frame, while the lower end is bent outwardly and then upwardly into hook shape, the outer face of the bill of the hook being bolted or riveted to the rail, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The seats in the present instance are shown asformed by boards 30, which are secured in stirrups 31 and are held from displacement by means of triangular brace-plates 32, the extremities of which are attached to their re 'spective ends of the seat board, while the angle of each plate is attached to the outer face of the adjacent side of the stirrup.

In the structure shown in Figs. 3 and 4the hanger consists of an iron strap 33, the lower end of which is fixed between the upper ends of the sides of the stirrup, the upper portion of the strap being offset, and this oifset portion is bent to form a hook 34, which extends transversely of the rail. Passed transversely through the stem and bill of the hook is a pin 35, upon which is mounted the supportingwheel 36, which is grooved peripherally to run upon the track. The links of the propelling-chain 18 at intervals are provided with depending lugs 37, which are perforated for engagement by links 38, which are in turn engaged with links 39, engaged with perforations in the bights of the hooks 34: of the hangers. In this way the hangers are connected with the propelling-chain, and when the chain is moved upon the sprocket-wheels the hangers are caused to traverse the rail, with the result of moving the seats backwardly and forwardly and in and out, the result being much more entertaining than the continuous movement of the so-called merry-go-round.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings the track-hangers are disposed in pairs and with their hooks disposed toward each other, and the rails 40 and 41, connected therewith, are disposed parallel for engagement by the periperhally-grooved wheels 52 and 53, carried by the stirrup-hangers 5t and 55. These hangers 54 and 55 comprise each a straight stem having a hook at its upper end and which lies transversely of its respective rail. These hooks carry the pins 56 and 57, upon which are rotatably mounted the wheels 52 and 53.

In Fig. 6 is shown a third arrangement of track, in which the rail 60 is supported from its side by engagement of an L-shaped hanger therewith. In this construction the stirruphanger consists of two straps 61 and 62, each of which has its ends bent into hook shape, with their bills lying on the same side of the body of the strap. One hook 64 passes transversely above the rail, with the end of the bill terminating above the rail, While the other hook 65 passes transversely below the rail, but with the end of its bill above the lower side of the rail. This upwardly-projecting end of the bill of hook 65 prevents excessive outward swing of the hanger, which would derail the wheel carried thereby. The two straps of the hanger are connected at the bights of the upper hooks by a plate 66, riveted thereto, and a similar plate 67, similarly connected, holds the bights of the lower hooks in proper relation. One of the rivets of the upper plate 66 is in the form of an eyebolt 68, with which is engaged a link 6!),which in turn engages the perforation of a lug 70 upon one of the links of the propelling-chain. With this construction it will be seen that there is provided a means of amusement which is novel and in which the passengers will be moved in different directions, first toward and then away from each other.

It will be understood that in practice the several sprockets may be positioned wherever desired to give any desired directions of motion and that various modifications may be made in the several parts of the structure without departing from the spirit of the invention.

\Vhat is claimed is- 1. An elevated railway comprising a framework having depending stub -shafts fixed thereon, sprocket-wheels rotatably mounted upon the stub-shafts and disposed to rotate in a common horizontal plane, a sprocketchain engaged with the sprocket-wheels and disposed to travel in ever-chan gin g directions, hangers attached to the framework and depending below the chain, a track secured to the hangers and lying at all points below the chain and conforming in direction thereto, cars mounted to run upon the track and a flexible connection between each car and a corresponding link of the chain, whereby the cars may have swinging movement independently of the chain.

2. An elevated railway comprising an elevated framework including radiating beams and cross-braces, a plurality of stub-shafts attached to the frame and depending therefrom, a sprocket-wheel rotatably mounted upon each shaft, a sprocket-chain engaged with the sprocket-wheels and disposed to travel in changing directions, the angle of each pair of diverging portions of the chain being divided by a bracing portion of the framework, a track disposed below the chain and conforming in direction thereto, and cars slidably engaged with the track and having flexible connections with the chain.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD WISHART.

Witnesses:

CHAS. P. BOLARD, J. A. BoLARD. 

